State Briefs 9/30/09

SPRINGFIELD – “Dateline NBC” is planning a report on the killing of Steven P. Watkins in Ashland last November.

Watkins, 32, was shot in the back of the head two days before Thanksgiving when he went to the home of his estranged wife to pick up his 18-month-old daughter for a court-ordered visit. His estranged wife and her grandmother have retained attorneys, but no one has been arrested or charged.

??Penny Watkins, the victim’s mother, said she hopes national attention will prevent people from forgetting about the killing. Dan Fultz, attorney for Watkins’ estranged wife, declined to respond.

??NBC publicist Jenny Tartikoff said the network has not scheduled a broadcast date.

??State Journal-Register

New Capitol architect hired

SPRINGFIELD – A North Carolina man has been selected as the new Architect of the Capitol in Illinois.

Richard Alsop III of Charlotte will take over the post November 16. He is a member of Charette Architects, PLLC and is owner and manager of property management firm Maxwell Cooper, LLC.

Alsop was selected after a national search from a field of several dozen candidates. Alsop has bachelor’s degrees in architecture and architecture arts from the University of North Carolina. He also holds a Master's with Distinction from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard.

Alsop replaces Don McLarty, who left the job last year to return the private sector.

In recent years the Architect of the Capitol has overseen both historic restoration of the Capitol interior as well as gradual replacement of the Capitol heating and ventilation system. Long-range plans for the Capitol Complex include replacement of the Stratton Office Building.

GateHouse News Service State Capitol Bureau

Man accused of injuring police officer during melee

PEKIN – A Peoria man arrested in connection with the melee at Illinois Central College over the weekend has been formally accused of injuring an East Peoria police officer during the incident.

Jemeral Linwood, 19, was charged Tuesday by the Tazewell County State's Attorney's Office with resisting a police officer for allegedly struggling with and injuring an officer who attempted to break up one of several fights. The Class 4 felony is punishable by probation or up to three years in prison.

East Peoria officer Ryan Billingsley was one of the first officers to respond to a disturbance and shots fired call at WoodView Commons at 11:50 p.m. Saturday. He encountered pandemonium, with as many as 400 partygoers fleeing multiple fights and gunshots.

Billingsley briefly attended to a woman who had been hit by a car during the panic, then proceeded to break up four of several ongoing fights, according to court documents filed in Linwood's case Tuesday.

When the officer spotted Linwood, he allegedly was striking and kicking an unknown victim. Billingsley attempted to restrain Linwood, but the suspect allegedly struggled in an attempt to flee, and both men fell to the ground.

Peoria Journal Star

Galesburg High School reverse detentions for not buying dance tickets in advance

GALESBURG – After handing out controversial detentions to students buying tickets to the school’s homecoming dance at the door, Galesburg High School administration has elected not to punish the approximately 50 students affected.

In a Tuesday afternoon news release, principal Tom Chiles said “GHS Administration has decided not to discipline students who purchased tickets at the door.”

The on-the-fly decision to let students, who didn’t purchase tickets ahead of time, attend the dance after accepting a Saturday detention became an issue after one parent threatened to protest the punishment at the next District 205 school board meeting.

Chiles explained the origin of the detention decisions Tuesday. For a number of years, a GHS school ID has been required to attend school dances, he said. Knowing that a number of factors can affect whether a kid remembers to bring his ID, the school’s administration decided to institute a punishment that would allow ID-less students attend the dances anyway: agree to serve a Saturday detention before being admitted to the dance. Chiles said the ID policy has never caused any issues.

After having a large number of students show up to Saturday’s dance without tickets — despite persistent advertising encouraging pre-purchase of tickets — Chiles said he made the “on-the-fly” decision to extend the ID-detention policy to those buying tickets at the door.